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the beautiful lady。 Fred thrust him into the seat beside the
chauffeur。 Pointing at the golf…cap and automobile goggles which
the stranger was stupidly twisting in his hands； Fred whispered
fiercely：
〃Put those on！ Cover your face！ Don't speak！ The man knows what
to do。〃
With eager eyes and parted lips James the chauffeur was waiting
for the signal。 Fred nodded sharply； and the chauffeur stooped to
throw in the clutch。 But the car did not start。 From the hedge
beside the driveway； directly in front of the wheels； something
on all fours threw itself upon the gravel； something in a suit of
purple…gray； something torn and bleeding； smeared with sweat and
dirt； something that cringed and crawled； that tried to rise and
sank back upon its knees； lifting to the glare of the head…lights
the white face and white hair of a very old； old man。 The
kneeling figure sobbed； the sobs rising from far down in the pit
of the stomach； wrenching the body like waves of nausea。 The man
stretched his arms toward them。 From long disuse his voice
cracked and broke。
〃I'm done！〃 he sobbed。 〃I can't go no farther！ I give myself up！〃
Above the awful silence that held the four young people； the
prison siren shrieked in one long； mocking howl of triumph。
It was the stranger who was the first to act。 Pushing past Fred；
and slipping from his own shoulders the long motor…coat； he
flung it over the suit of purple…gray。 The goggles he clapped
upon the old man's frightened eyes； the golf…cap he pulled down
over the white hair。 With one arm he lifted the convict； and with
the other dragged and pushed him into the seat beside the
chauffeur。 Into the hands of the chauffeur he thrust the roll of
bills。
〃Get him away！〃 he ordered。 〃It's only twelve miles to the
Connecticut line。 As soon as you're across； buy him clothes and a
ticket to Boston。 Go through White Plains to Greenwichand then
you're safe！〃
As though suddenly remembering the presence of the owner of the
car； he swung upon Fred。 〃Am I right？〃 he demanded。
〃Of course！〃 roared Fred。 He flung his arm at the chauffeur as
though throwing him into space。
〃Get…to…hell…out…of…here！〃 he shouted。
The chauffeur； by profession a criminal； but by birth a human
being； chuckled savagely and this time threw in the clutch。 With
a grinding of gravel the racing…car leaped into the night； its
ruby rear lamp winking in farewell； its tiny siren answering the
great siren of the prison in jeering notes of joy and victory。
Fred had supposed that at the last moment the younger convict
proposed to leap to the running…board； but instead the stranger
remained motionless。
Fred shouted impotently after the flying car。 In dismay he seized
the stranger by the arm。
〃But you？〃 he demanded。 〃How are you going to get away？〃
The stranger turned appealingly to where upon the upper step
stood Winnie Keep。
〃I don't want to get away；〃 he said。 〃I was hoping； maybe； you'd
let me stay to dinner。〃
A terrible and icy chill crept down the spine of Fred Keep。 He
moved so that the light from the hall fell full upon the face of
the stranger。
〃Will you kindly tell me；〃 Fred demanded； 〃who the devil you
are？〃
The stranger exclaimed peevishly。 〃I've BEEN telling you all
evening；〃 he protested。 〃I'm Harry Van Warden！〃
Gridley； the ancient butler； appeared in the open door。
〃Dinner is served； madam；〃 he said。
The stranger gave an exclamation of pleasure。 〃Hello； Gridley！〃
he cried。 〃Will you please tell Mr。 Keep who I am？ Tell him； if
he'll ask me to dinner； I won't steal the spoons。〃
Upon the face of Gridley appeared a smile it never had been the
privilege of Fred Keep to behold。 The butler beamed upon the
stranger fondly； proudly； by the right of long acquaintanceship；
with the affection of an old friend。 Still beaming； he bowed to
Keep。
〃If Mr。 HarryMr。 Van Warden；〃 he said； 〃is to stay to dinner；
might I suggest； sir； he is very partial to the Paul Vibert；
'84。〃
Fred Keep gazed stupidly from his butler to the stranger and then
at his wife。 She was again radiantly beautiful and smilingly
happy。
Gridley coughed tentatively。 〃Shall I open a bottle； sir？〃 he
asked。
Hopelessly Fred tossed his arms heavenward。
〃Open a case！〃 he roared。
At ten o'clock； when they were still at table and reaching a
state of such mutual appreciation that soon they would be calling
each other by their first names； Gridley brought in a written
message he had taken from the telephone。 It was a long…distance
call from Yonkers； sent by James； the faithful chauffeur。
Fred read it aloud。
〃I got that party the articles he needed；〃 it read； 〃and saw him
safe on a train to Boston。 On the way back I got arrested for
speeding the car on the way down。 Please send money。 I am in a
cell in Yonkers。〃
Chapter 8。 THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF
Before he finally arrested him； 〃Jimmie〃 Sniffen had seen the man
with the golf…cap； and the blue eyes that laughed at you； three
times。 Twice； unexpectedly； he had come upon him in a wood road
and once on Round Hill where the stranger was pretending to watch
the sunset。 Jimmie knew people do not climb hills merely to look
at sunsets； so he was not deceived。 He guessed the man was a
German spy seeking gun sites； and secretly vowed to 〃stalk〃 him。
From that moment； had the stranger known it； he was as good as
dead。 For a boy scout with badges on his sleeve for 〃stalking〃
and 〃path…finding；〃 not to boast of others for 〃gardening〃 and
〃cooking；〃 can outwit any spy。 Even had； General Baden…Powell
remained in Mafeking and not invented the boy scout； Jimmie
Sniffen would have been one。 Because； by birth he was a boy； and
by inheritance； a scout。 In Westchester County the Sniffens are
one of the county families。 If it isn't a Sarles； it's a Sniffen；
and with Brundages； Platts； and Jays； the Sniffens date back to
when the acres of the first Charles Ferris ran from the Boston
post road to the coach road to Albany； and when the first
Gouverneur Morris stood on one of his hills and saw the Indian
canoes in the Hudson and in the Sound and rejoiced that all the
land between belonged to him。
If you do not believe in heredity； the fact that Jimmie's
great…great…grandfather was a scout for General Washington and
hunted deer； and even bear； over exactly the same hills where
Jimmie hunted weasles will count for nothing。 It will not explain
why to Jimmie； from Tarrytown to Port Chester； the hills； the
roads； the woods； and the cow…paths； caves； streams； and springs
hidden in the woods were as familiar as his own kitchen garden；
Nor explain why； when you could not see a Pease and Elliman 〃For
Sale〃 sign nailed to a tree； Jimmie could see in the highest
branches a last year's bird's nest。
Or why； when he was out alone playing Indians and had sunk his
scout's axe into a fallen log and then scalped the log； he felt
that once before in those same woods he had trailed that same
Indian； and with his own tomahawk split open his skull。 Sometimes
when he knelt to drink at a secret spring in the forest； the
autumn leaves would crackle and he would raise his eyes fearing
to see a panther facing him。
But there ain't no panthers in Westchester；〃 Jimmie would
reassure himself。 And in the distance the roar of an automobile
climbing a hill with the muffler open would seem to suggest he
was right。 But still Jimmie remembered once before he had knelt
at that same spring； and that when he raised his eyes he had
faced a crouching panther。 〃Mebbe dad told me it happened to
grandpop；〃 Jimmie would explain； 〃or I dreamed it； or； mebbe； I
read it in a story book。〃
The 〃German spy〃 mania attacked Round Hill after the visit to the
boy scouts of Clavering Gould； the war correspondent。 He was
spending the week end with 〃Squire〃 Harry Van Vorst； and as young
Van Vorst； besides being a justice of the peace and a Master of
Beagles and President of the Country Club； was also a local
〃councilman〃 for the Round Hill Scouts； he brought his guest to a
camp…fire meeting to talk to them。 In deference to his audience；
Gould told them of the boy scouts he had seen in Belgium and of
the part they were playing in the gr